San Juan Bautista fire fighters extinguish and sort through smoldering material after a fire destroyed a storage unit at the Ortiz Mushroom Farm Friday morning.
San Juan Bautista and San Benito County firefighters were called to extinguish a storage unit fire at Ortiz Mushroom Farm in San Juan Bautista this morning.
Workers hired to remove the large storage unit to get it recycled said they were using an acetylene torch to cut the unit into pieces when fire from the torch ignited it.
Nick Gonzalez, one of the workers, said he was inside the unit cutting when "sparks caused the fire."
Farm owner Esteben Ortiz said his farm grows oysters and portobello and shitake mushrooms. He did not think the fire would affect his business.
The fire charred the storage unit beyond repair, but no one was injured.
Curtis Cartier Curtis Cartier covers the City of Hollister and public safety for the Free Lance. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 or email him.
